Reagan Arthur Named Publisher of Little, Brown

Ending months of lunch time speculation in publishing circles, Reagan Arthur has been named publisher of Little, Brown & Co. effective April 1.

Ms. Arthur succeeds Michael Pietsch, who was earlier named chief executive of Lagardere SCA’s Hachette Book Group, which includes Little, Brown, effective the same date.

Ms. Arthur’s name had surfaced in recent days, with one publishing figure suggesting that Mr. Pietsch was looking inside his own company for his successor.

“It’s the best choice,” said this person, who knows the company well. “She knows the players, she knows how Little, Brown works, and Michael knows how to work with her. He needed somebody there that he shares a point of view with.”

Ms. Arthur will close her own imprint, Reagan Arthur Books, where she did her own editing. Among her top authors were such crime writers as George Pelecanos; Megan Abbott and Denise Mina.

Ms. Arthur has also had a number of general interest hits, among them Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” and Elizabeth Kostova’s “The Historian,” a debut novel that emerged as one of 2005’s biggest sellers.

In an interview, Ms. Arthur said that she expects to continue editing in her new post. “We’re all still figuring out the digital age, but it’s a time of great opportunity,” she added. “There are so many ways today to find out about books, talk about books, and experience them. There’s a lot of room for growth.”

A spokeswoman for the Hachette Book Group said Thursday that Ms. Arthur’s writers will now be published under the general Little, Brown imprint.